SATYRICON GEAR UP FOR FORTHCOMING LONDON SHOW

“It’s the end of another chapter in the book of Satyricon,” reveals charismatic frontman, SATYR, on the band’s long-awaited London show. As the unholy advent looms ever closer, Faye Coulman recounts the Norwegian metal scene’s darkest chronicle to date.

 Steeped in groove-laden carnage and bloodcurdling ambience, 2008 opus, “The Age Of Nero,” spawned a veritable slew of live dates culminating in December’s swiftly advancing Shepherd’s Bush Empire show. Presently in the midst of a hectic US tour, Satyr’s unruffled composure is admirable. “I always look forward to our London shows,” remarks the delicately accented voice crackling ever so slightly at the end of the receiver. “And when we do that show it’s going to be the last performance of the ‘Age of Nero’ touring cycle. So, it’s not just the last gig of the tour. It’s also the beginning of a new phase in the evolution of the band. From then on, there are going to be a lot of changes in the Satyricon camp. After we take a long touring break and come back a couple of years later, certain people may not be with us any longer. Although we won’t be doing anything overly dramatic, we’ll be trying quite a few different things, which I think is going to be really good for Satyricon. The reason we’re doing that is so we can continue to develop our sound. At the moment we are still enjoying what we do, but if that continues any longer it’ll undoubtedly stagnate, so we need to ensure that doesn’t happen. And moving in different musical directions is definitely a good way to go about it.”

 “As an artist, there are so many new things I’d like to do,” Satyr resumes after a moment’s contemplation. “And one of them is to work on some songwriting for Satyricon, though from an entirely different angle. For example, we may chose to go for a similar tone, but use a different set of instruments in the next record. Maybe there are also other recording techniques, which could add a different element to our work and open up fresh musical territory. Our last three releases all follow a certain style and pattern, and we want to create a record that’s radically different from the others. Though the foundation of Satyricon’s sound – my songwriting and Frost’s signature drumming – will always remain unchanged.”

 Where acts of comparable vintage have grown weary and withered into eventual obscurity, the band’s trademark talent for reinvention has remained wondrously intact. Formerly bestrewn with a wealth of medieval fantasy trappings, the Scandinavian duo have since cut back on corpse paint and sonic embellishments alike. Now the proud purveyors of genre-defying metal and a super-slick image to die for, Satyricon are, at long last, reaping the rewards of their innovative endeavours thus far.

 On these ever-evolving virtues, Satyr observes, “The band has existed for seventeen years, and thank god we’ve been able to keep doing new things with our music all along. There are bands out there who haven’t been able to develop at any level and have been around for decades. While doing the same stuff over and over appears to work for some of them, for us it doesn’t really appeal. We don’t look upon music as a tradition to be preserved. Instead, we try to make music that excites us and part of what excites us is taking our music to new places. It’s all part of Satyricon’s identity to do that, so it doesn’t feel like we’re doing anything courageous or extraordinary. Though I think that ‘Volcano’ was specifically the record that started pushing things for Satyricon in the UK,” he adds decisively. “‘Now Diabolical!’ opened up the doors even further, and, though I’m hoping ‘The Age Of Nero’ will continue from there, we still haven’t fully had the opportunity to promote it yet.” Little hindered by limited publicity, “The Age Of Nero” continues to amass universally glowing acclaim, witnessed most recently at Satyricon’s electrifying Bloodstock Open Air show.

 Teaming grimly arresting musicianship with deliciously occult aesthetics, “The Age Of Nero” may, at first glance, be mistaken for pure escapism. However, those acquainted with Satyr’s typically insightful lyricism no doubt comprehend the album’s darkly prophetic undertones. Inspired by the ruthless hedonism of the late Roman Empire, this apparently retrospective release is, in truth, profoundly relevant to today’s vice-afflicted, materialistic world. “Since we arrived in the US, I’m witnessing these tendencies more than ever before,” Satyr comments sagely. “I’ve been here a lot in the last decade and, while I appreciate many aspects of American culture, I’ve noticed a distinct lack of both financial and political stability. As was the case with the Roman Empire, it appears that the most powerful nation in the world is crumbling. Quite recently, there’s something in the air that definitely wasn’t here before, and I’ve noticed that people seem utterly depressed these days. History has proven that the empire will strike back but, likewise, empires have also collapsed in the past, like the Roman Empire, which was once the most powerful empire of its time. Certainly, the world as we know it today will be nothing more than a distant memory in perhaps a only couple of decades from now.”

 Forged from fittingly misanthropic origins, the album’s razor-sharp social commentary was first conceived within the inhospitable depths of the Norwegian forest. Though this frostbitten source of inspiration is frequently overused throughout the black metal genre, Satyr’s celebration of savage beauty is unmistakably sincere. Reflecting on the realisation of “Nero,” he muses, “I think silence is the key factor. Being physically unavailable to other people means fewer distractions, which is always helpful. It’s like there’s this weird human mechanism that, if you’re within a short physical distance, people will bug you more than if you’re further away. Isolation from civilisation also guarantees complete silence, which allows you to connect with yourself on a deeper level than usual. The fact that I can’t have that now makes me miserable at times - I miss it every day. I suppose you could say that I’m forever craving my lair of darkness,” Satyr deadpans, his comic timing impeccable as always.